El Nino's impact on Iowa -- fall-winter forecast sneak peek

National Weather Service forecasters said Thursday that into the late Spring 2016, but it looks to have minimal impacts on temperatures in Iowa.
The long range forecast for temperatures and precipitation shows normal ranges expected for both across Iowa from October through December.
There is good news for this upcoming winter. While precipitation looks to be normal across Iowa, temperatures are predicted to be above normal especially across the northern into central counties.
EL NINO:
Federal meteorologists say the current El Nino is already the second strongest on record for this time of year and could be one of the most potent weather changers of the past 65 years.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration recorded unusual warmth in the Pacific Ocean in the last three months. El Nino is a heating of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather worldwide, mostly affecting the United States in winter.
NOAA's Mike Halpert said Thursday the current El Nino likely will rival past super El Ninos in 1997-1998, 1982-83 and 1972-73.
El Nino usually brings heavy winter rain in California, and much of the southern and eastern U.S. Halpert said that's no guarantee and even past super El Ninos haven't delivered the rain that California now needs.
All climate models surveyed predict El Nino to continue into the Northern Hemisphere into spring 2016, and all multi-model averages predict a strong event at its peak in late fall/early winter.
Across the United States, temperature and precipitation impacts associated with El Nino are expected to remain minimal during the remainder of the Northern Hemisphere summer and increase into the late fall and winter.
View the latest long-range forecasts for October through December and January through March here.